Scientific Issues Research Articles

On (Im)Patience: A New Approach to an Old Virtue.

Patience has been of great interest to religious scholars, philosophers, and psychological scientists. Their efforts have produced numerous insights but no cohesive theoretical approach to understanding the broad set of experiences people label as patience. I propose a novel view of patience, one that departs from but ties together existing approaches. Grounded in theories of emotion and emotion regulation, I propose impatience as a discrete emotion triggered by an objectionable delay of some sort, and patience (as a state or process rather than a virtue) as a form of emotion regulation that targets the subjective experience and outward expression of impatience. I propose a number of predictors and consequences of patience and impatience and provide initial evidence for many of the theory's tenets. This theoretical approach, the process model of patience, reveals coherence across varied fields and methodologies and generates novel, testable, and timely questions for future patience scholars. "Patience is a virtue" is a familiar exhortation, and patience has been of great interest to religious scholars, philosophers, and psychological scientists. Their efforts have produced numerous insights but no cohesive theoretical approach to understanding the broad set of experiences people label as patience. This paper proposes an entirely novel view of patience, one that departs from but ties together existing approaches. I propose that impatience is an emotion, triggered by a frustrating delay of some sort, and patience captures the various ways people try to deal with their experience of impatience. I also propose that various aspects of the situation and the person combine to determine the intensity of impatience and the effectiveness of patience. Finally, I discuss the implications of a theoretical model, the process model of patience, for both scientific inquiry and issues of social justice, which are often fueled by appropriate experiences of impatience.

THE EFFECT OF SOCIO SCIENTIFIC ISSUES BASED LEARNING ON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENT’ SCIENTIFIC LITERACY ABILITIES

Scientific literacy is very important since by learning scientific literacy, one can solve all the challenges that occur in life. Students have difficulty in scientific literacy because of uninteresting learning. Therefore, efforts are needed to make learning more meaningful. This research aims to determine whether there is an effect of Socio Scientific Issues (SSI) based learning on elementary school students' scientific literacy abilities. The research method used was one group of pre-test and post-test design. The sampling technique used simple random sampling with a sample size of 14 students. Data analysis used the paired sample t-test and n-gain. The research results show that there were differences before and after implementing SSI learning with the n-gain test in the practical category

SDNRoute: Proactive routing optimization in Software Defined Networks

Despite opening attractive perspectives, the concept of Software Defined Networking raises doubts about the performance and practical feasibility. To contradict these concerns, we propose a deployment-ready system aimed at proactive and periodic optimization of flow paths. The modular system consists of modules responsible for traffic prediction, static optimization, measurements, flow management, and validation of optimization results. To make the system efficient, we resolved several scientific issues and proposed novel and valuable solutions, for example methods for efficient proactive flow management and periodic re-optimization of routing policies. Simultaneously, to make the system production-ready and create a reliable research environment, we provide solutions to several technical obstacles.We validate the proposed system with three network topologies, each with three load levels, following real-life traffic models. We consider Equal-Cost Multi-Path Routing as a baseline. The results indicate that the system allows network operators to handle more traffic (packet loss reduced by up to 30%), improve quality of service (less congested links resulted in even 2.5 times lower latency), and reduce operational expenses (energy consumption lowered by up to 10%).

Trust me if you can: a survey on reliability and interpretability of machine learning approaches for drug sensitivity prediction in cancer.

With the ever-increasing number of artificial intelligence (AI) systems, mitigating risks associated with their use has become one of the most urgent scientific and societal issues. To this end, the European Union passed the EU AI Act, proposing solution strategies that can be summarized under the umbrella term trustworthiness. In anti-cancer drug sensitivity prediction, machine learning (ML) methods are developed for application in medical decision support systems, which require an extraordinary level of trustworthiness. This review offers an overview of the ML landscape of methods for anti-cancer drug sensitivity prediction, including a brief introduction to the four major ML realms (supervised, unsupervised, semi-supervised, and reinforcement learning). In particular, we address the question to what extent trustworthiness-related properties, more specifically, interpretability and reliability, have been incorporated into anti-cancer drug sensitivity prediction methods over the previous decade. In total, we analyzed 36 papers with approaches for anti-cancer drug sensitivity prediction. Our results indicate that the need for reliability has hardly been addressed so far. Interpretability, on the other hand, has often been considered for model development. However, the concept is rather used intuitively, lacking clear definitions. Thus, we propose an easily extensible taxonomy for interpretability, unifying all prevalent connotations explicitly or implicitly used within the field.

Research status and reflection of the mechanism of TCM manipulation in the treatment of cervical spondylosis under the background of multi-disciplinary intersection

The study of TCM manipulation's mechanism is the key scientific issue in the current manipulation research. It is the key and difficult point on the road of modernization and internationalization of Chinese orthopedics and traumatology. Meanwhile, it is also an important way to clarify systematically the scientific connotation of TCM manipulation. At present, our country is in an important period when multi-disciplinary intersection lead knowledge production, scientific innovation, and discipline development. The trend of cross-innovation between Chinese orthopedics and traumatology and other disciplines provides the carrier and method for the study of TCM manipulation's mechanism. Cervical spondylosis is the traditional dominant disease of Chinese orthopedics and traumatology. In recent years, many scholars have applied multi-disciplinary techniques and theories to explore the mechanism of TCM manipulation by focusing on the four dimensions of muscle, bone, blood vessel and nerve. The article takes the treatment of cervical spondylosis by TCM manipulation as the research entry point, and integrates the application status and implementation strategies of various techniques and theories under the background of multi-disciplinary intersection, which is conducive to the better combination, innovation and transformation of Chinese orthopedics and traumatology with other disciplines, and provides ideas and references for systematically clarifying the scientific connotation of TCM manipulation.

Progress and Remaining Opportunities to Increase the Use of Animal-free Antibodies in the USA.

The scientific and ethical issues associated with the use of animal-derived antibodies in research can be overcome by the use of animal-free, sequence-defined recombinant antibodies, whose benefits are well documented. Here, we describe progress made following a 2019 expert meeting focused on improving the quality and reproducibility of biomedical research by accelerating the production and use of animal-free recombinant antibodies in the USA. In the five intervening years since the meeting, participants have established multifaceted initiatives to tackle the next steps outlined during the meeting. These initiatives include: prioritising the replacement of ascites-derived and polyclonal antibodies; distributing educational materials describing recombinant antibodies; fostering public-private partnerships to increase access to recombinant antibodies; and increasing the availability of funding for recombinant antibody development. Given the widescale use of antibodies across scientific disciplines, a transition to modern antibody production methods relies on a commitment from government agencies, universities, industry and funding organisations, to initiatives such as those outlined here.

Specific features of collecting nicknames in the process of academic work and research activity

The article considers the applied aspects of onomastics and is related to the major issue of collecting modern nicknames which students (schoolchildren and students) may encounter as part of their academic work and research activity. Since it is fundamentally impossible to record all unofficial anthroponyms, the study focuses on the issue of the effectiveness of various material collection methods, namely questionnaires and survey forms as the main ones, conversations, observations, and sampling data from various sources as secondary techniques. In particular, the article specifies the structure of the questionnaires used by the author in tabular form. Moreover, the presented detailed survey forms for obtaining individual and collective nicknames developed by the author are based on the recommendations given in previous studies as well as the author’s own experience. The proposed questionnaires and survey forms can be used in academic work and research activity within the framework of scientific projects. The paper also identifies the advantages and disadvantages of each method. The article discusses the specific features of field work in rural settlements and under stationary data collection conditions. The objective of certifying the obtained materials is raised. It is concluded that involving students in onomastic data collection as part of their academic work and research activity can help in solving relevant scientific issues.

Medico-legal and bioethical controversies of the use of puberty blockers in adolescents with gender dysphoria: a comparative perspective between Italy and Spain

Background: the administration of puberty blockers to adolescents with gender dysphoria has ignited significant bioethical controversy, especially in light of recent legislative changes in the United States, Australia and several European states, especially the UK, which in March 2024 permanently banned the administration of puberty blockers to children. Italy and Spain, with their distinct legal, cultural, and medical approaches to treating gender dysphoria in minors, serve as focal points for examining these complex issues. Aims: this article aims to explore the bioethical and medico-legal implications of using puberty blockers in adolescents with gender dysphoria, focusing on the regulatory frameworks in Italy and Spain. It seeks to contribute to the international dialogue on best practices for supporting adolescents with gender dysphoria by comparing these two countries’ approaches. Discussion: in recent years in many European states there has been an important evolution in the position on hormone blockade therapy for minors with gender dysphoria, having gone from open policies on puberty blockade treatment to decidedly more restrictive positions. In Italy, the debate on the legitimacy of authorising treatment has been lively for several years, and in the last year has become even more intense due to the decisions taken by countries such as Finland, Sweden, Norway and the United Kingdom. In Spain, a landmark law on trans rights was passed in 2023, but it did not directly regulate hormone-blocking treatment in adolescents with gender dysphoria, which only made an already intense debate even more heated. Conclusion: it is essential to recognise the complexity of gender identity in adolescents and adopt an inclusive approach that considers medical, legal, ethical and social implications. The dynamic nature of the debate on the use of puberty blockers requires ongoing international dialogue. Policy analysis from Italy and Spain can inform best practice globally, promoting inclusive guidelines that prioritise adolescent welfare by addressing the complex bioethical, medico-legal and scientific issues related to the use of puberty blockers.

Carbon Dots in the Pathological Microenvironment: ROS Producers or Scavengers?

Reactive oxygen species (ROS), as metabolic byproducts, play pivotal role in physiological and pathological processes. Recently, studies on the regulation of ROS levels for disease treatments have attracted extensive attention, mainly involving the ROS-induced toxicity therapy mediated by ROS producers and antioxidant therapy by ROS scavengers. Nanotechnology advancements have led to the development of numerous nanomaterials with ROS-modulating capabilities, among which carbon dots (CDs) standing out as noteworthy ROS-modulating nanomedicines own their distinctive physicochemical properties, high stability, and excellent biocompatibility. Despite progress in treating ROS-related diseases based on CDs, critical issues such as rational design principles for their regulation remain underexplored. The primary cause of these issues may stem from the intricate amalgamation of core structure, defects, and surface states, inherent to CDs, which poses challenges in establishing a consistent generalization. This review succinctly summarizes the recently progress of ROS-modulated approaches using CDs in disease treatment. Specifically, it investigates established therapeutic strategies based on CDs-regulated ROS, emphasizing the interplay between intrinsic structure and ROS generation or scavenging ability. The conclusion raises several unresolved key scientific issues and prominent technological bottlenecks, and explores future perspectives for the comprehensive development of CDs-based ROS-modulating therapy.

Editorial policies of Cell Methods

Cell Methods is a peer-reviewed open access journal aiming at publishing original arti-cles and reviews that present new and high-quality standards methods allowing to address current issues in life science. Here are the journal aims and the editorial poli-cies.

Unveiling the fate of metal leaching in bimetal-catalyzed Fenton-like systems: pivotal role of aqueous matrices and machine learning prediction

Metal-based catalytic materials exhibit exceptional properties in degrading emerging pollutants within Fenton-like systems. However, the potential risk of metal leaching has become pressing environmental concern. This study addressed scientific issues pertaining to the leaching behavior and control strategies for metal-based catalytic materials. Innovative cobalt-aluminum hydrotalcite (CoAl-LDH) triggered peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation system was constructed and achieved near-complete removal of Ciprofloxacin (CIP) across diverse water quality environments. Notably, it was found that the tunable ion exchange and Al3+ stabilization of CoAl-LDH occurred due to the particularity of neutral water quality, resulting in significantly lower Co2+ leaching levels (0.321 mg/L) compared to acidic conditions (5.103 mg/L). In light of this, machine learning technology was then employed for the first time to simulate the dynamic trend of Co2+ leaching and elucidated the critical regulatory roles and mechanisms of Al3+, aqueous matrix, and reaction rate. Furthermore, degradation systems based on different water quality and metal leaching levels regulated the generation levels of SO4.- and O2∙-, and the unique advantages of free radical attack paths were clarified through CIP degradation products and ecotoxicity analysis. These findings introduced novel insights and approaches for engineering application and pollution control in metal-based Fenton-like water treatment.

Wetting Behavior-Induced Interfacial transmission of Energy and Signal: Materials, Mechanisms, and Applications.

Wetting behaviors can significantly affect the transport of energy and signal (E&S) through vapor, solid, and liquid interfaces, which has prompted increased interest in interfacial science and technology. E&S transmission can be achieved using electricity, light, and heat, which often accompany and interact with each other. Over the past decade, their distinctive transport phenomena during wetting processes have made significant contributions to various domains. However, few studies have analyzed the intricate relationship between wetting behavior and E&S transport. This review summarizes and discusses the mechanisms of electrical, light, and heat transmission at wetting interfaces to elucidate their respective scientific issues, technical characteristics, challenges, commonalities, and potential for technological convergence. The materials, structures, and devices involved in E&S transportation are also analyzed. Particularly, harnessing synergistic advantages in practical applications and constructing advanced, multifunctional, and highly efficient smart systems based on wetted interfaces is the aim to provide strategies.

Multi-band enhanced nonreciprocal thermal radiation based on Weyl semimetals.

Previous studies manifested that the majority of structures that exhibit nonreciprocal thermal radiation in the mid-infrared are capable of achieving either single-band strong nonreciprocity or multi-band weak nonreciprocity at a large incidence angle. However, few structures can realize multi-band strong nonreciprocity at a small incidence angle. To address such scientific issues, we propose a tunable nonreciprocal thermal emitter based on gallium arsenide (GaAs)/graphene/Weyl semimetal (WSM). This device is capable of achieving strong nonreciprocity at 7.3 μm, 10 μm and 13.6 μm wavelengths at an incidence angle of 25.5°. It is shown that the field enhancement of the GaAs/graphene composite layer can improve the nonreciprocal response of the WSM layer. In addition, by changing the Fermi energy level of graphene and the axial vector b of the Weyl semimetal, tunable nonreciprocal thermal radiation can be realized. What's more, we find that the structure breaks Kirchhoff's law without lithography and an external magnetic field, which reveals the advantages of applying our research in the field of thermal radiation.

Bridging Minds and Frontiers: An Unconventional Academic Odyssey with Francisco José Ayala

The text recounts the author’s remarkable experience in establishing contact with Francisco José Ayala, a renowned professor, researcher, author, and philanthropist. Beginning in an unusual manner, the connection transcended the conventional boundaries of academia, dispelling the notion of inaccessibility of eminent scientists. This resulted in an interview and the publication of a letter in the Science journal, exemplifying Ayala’s generosity. The narrative highlights Ayala’s extensive contribution to the understanding of evolution, his role in issues of science and religion, and his notable philanthropy. The challenges faced during a period of collaborating in California are shared, emphasizing the consolidation of a relationship of trust. Ayala’s influence is evident in the author’s shift towards contemporary issues such as scientific misinformation and climatic themes, reflecting the enduring legacy Ayala left on his academic journey and the positive transformation in the author’s career.

Prediction of thermodynamic properties oflanthanide/transition metal alloys by deep learning

The utilization of machine learning, especially deep learning, in solving materials science issues bring an opportunity to accelerate the development process of new materials and draw the attention of researchers all over the world. In this work, we present our study on applying deep neural networks to represent and predict thermodynamic quantities including formation energy, convex hull distance, and to recognize potential thermodynamical stabile materials. We employ our novel material descriptor, named orbital field matrix (OFM), to determine the feature vectors for materials. The OFM descriptors were developed based on the information of valence electron configuration and the Voronoi analysis of the atomic structures of materials. Our experiments show that deep neural networks can accurately predict formation energyand convex hull distancewith the mean absolute error around 0,124eV/atom and 0,105 eV/atom, respectively. In addition,the classification neural network can yield an accuracy of 92% in distinguishing the stable and unstable materials.

Decadal Trends in the Southern Ocean Meridional Eddy Heat Transport

Abstract Meridional heat transport induced by oceanic mesoscale eddies (EHT) plays a significant role in the heat budget of the Southern Ocean (SO) but the decadal trends in EHT and its associated mechanisms are still obscure. Here, this scientific issue is investigated by combining concurrent satellite observations and Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Ocean, Phase II (ECCO2) reanalysis data over the 24 years between 1993 and 2016. The results reveal that the surface EHTs from both satellite and ECCO2 data consistently show decadal poleward increasing trends in the SO, particularly in the latitude band of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC). In terms of average in the ACC band, the ECCO2-derived EHT over the upper 1000 m has a linear trend of 1.1 × 10−2 PW decade−1 or 16% per decade compared with its time-mean value of 0.07 PW. Diagnostic analysis based on “mixing length” theory suggests that the decadal strengthening of eddy kinetic energy (EKE) is the dominant mechanism for the increase in EHT in the SO. By performing an energy budget analysis, we further find that the decadal increase in EKE is mainly caused by the strengthened baroclinic instability of large-scale circulation that converts more available potential energy to EKE. For the strengthened baroclinic instability in the SO, it is attributed to the increasing large-scale wind stress work on the large-scale circulation corresponding to the positive phase of the Southern Annular Mode between 1993 and 2016. The decadal trends in EHT identified here may help understand decadal variations of heat storage and sea ice extent in the SO. Significance Statement Oceanic mesoscale-eddy-induced meridional heat transport (EHT) is a key process of heat redistribution in the Southern Ocean (SO), but the decadal variations of EHT and the associated mechanisms remain obscure. Here, by analyzing satellite and reanalysis data between 1993 and 2016, we find that the poleward EHT has significant decadal increasing trends in the SO, particularly in the Antarctic Circumpolar Current latitude band. Further analysis suggests that the increasing EHT is mainly caused by enhanced eddy kinetic energy converted by the strengthened baroclinic instability of large-scale circulation, which is attributed to the strengthening winds modulated by the Southern Annular Mode. The above findings may improve our understanding of the decadal variations of heat storage and sea ice extent in the SO.

Prospects for combining the methods of haploid biotechnology and genome editing to improve spiked grains of the <i>Triticeae</i> family (review)

Over the past few decades, haploid biotechnologies have become an integral part of breeding programs for many crops. Using the strategy of doubling haploids induced in the culture of gametic cells and tissues in vitro, through androgenesis, gynogenesis and distant hybridization, it became possible to significantly reduce the time for developing new varieties. Using the technology of doubled haploids, within one or two generations, it is possible to obtain aligned homozygous lines, which can both help speed up the breeding process and study several scientific and practical issues. Another promising tool for developing lines and samples with specified traits within several generations is genome editing (engineering) using various nuclease-based engineering complexes. The CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technology, which came into use ten years ago, allows solving a wide variety of problems in plant functional genomics, including engineering resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses, improving productivity and product quality. The technology is better than the most known methods for improving varieties for the traits which have mono- or polygenic control, since it allows changing several genes simultaneously, which is important for polyploid species. An integral part of plant genome editing, as well as haploidogenesis technologies, is cell and tissue culture in vitro, which gives possibility for their combination. The combination of technologies allows producing homozygous plants with new gene-specific mutations, which improves genetic diversity and accelerates the selection of linear material with new economically valuable traits. The current review has summarized the experience of combining haploidy and genome editing methods in spiked grains of the Triticeae family. In addition to analyzing the current state, there have been considered the prospects for further development of technologies for obtaining haploids of wheat, barley, triticale, and rye with an edited genome.

A novel algorithm MPPT controller based on the herd horse optimization for photovoltaic systems under partial shadow conditions

In recent years, a significant scientific issue has been the creation of maximum power point tracking (MPPT) methods to increase the energy production of PV plants. Moreover, to try to cope with the unparalleled operating conditions of PV plants, many bio-inspired meta-heuristic algorithms have already been suggested in the literature, but their implementation is often complex and difficult. In this sense, we propose a novel algorithm for monitoring the (MPPT), using the newly meta-heuristic approach of herd horse optimization (HHO). A DC/DC boost converter is utilised in the suggested controllers to extract the most power possible from the PV resource. The system is programmed and modelled using the MATLAB/SIMULINK software, which also studies four shadow models and a 3S1P topography of single-junction solar arrays. Considering partial shading conditions (PSC), the success of the power values in the global maximum power point (GMPP) of the proposed method is between 99.64% and 99.07%. Besides the time to capture the GMPP by the proposed algorithm is between 0.396 s and 1.666 s, shorter than that of the CSA and FPA algorithms. Comparison with the CSA and FPA optimizers confirmed the quality of the MPPT-based HHO algorithm for GMPP extraction in different (PSC).

Citizen science initiatives for soil literacy

Citizen science initiatives for soil literacy Alba Peiro and Francisco Sanz from the Ibercivis Foundation, Claudia Cappello and Tanja Mimmo from the Free University of Bolzano, guide us through citizen science initiatives for soil literacy that are integral to the ECHO project, Citizen science projects offer an effective framework for increasing participants’ knowledge in specific scientific fields. They also play a crucial role in reshaping participants’ perspectives on the scientific process and attitudes towards science and environmental issues. To ensure a significant increase in literacy, citizen science initiatives require meticulous design that extends beyond merely involving participants in scientific studies. This involves facilitating interactions with scientists and providing high-quality educational materials (Bonney et al., 2009).

Comprehensive Identification of the Chemical Substances in Effective Component Groups of Polygalae Radix Based on Targeted Tandem Mass Spectrometry Analysis Strategy

ABSTRACTPolygalae Radix is a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine with multiple pharmacological activities. Modern research have revealed that saponins, xanthones, and oligosaccharide esters are its effective component groups. However, up to date the chemical substances in these effective component groups are still unclear, which has become a fundamental scientific issue needing to be addressed. In our study, an analysis strategy based on targeted tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) analysis was proposed to comprehensively identify the chemical substances in effective component groups. First, the extract of the Polygalae Radix was detected by ultra‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization–orbitrap mass spectrometry in a full MS scan mode to minimize the losses of signals; second, the precursor ions of all compounds were extracted from the obtained full MS scan data using Compound Discoverer software; third, the interested precursor ions were locked based on their molecular features and constructed in a precursor ion list; finally, each precursor ion in the list was subjected to targeted MS/MS analysis for structure characterization. Using our analysis strategy, a total of 565 components were successfully identified.